Major Flaw in MFP and eating back your calories?
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It's a major flaw IMO because you end up over eating and not losing weight and in some cases gaining weight.
The fitness trainers and nutritionists that I have seen have given me a flat 2000-2200 calorie diet. They never mention eating back my calories.
When I do eat back my calories, I fail. When I do not, I lose weight. I will stick with the results.
I agree completely. My mother has a friend who is a doctor with a PhD in weight management/obesity and she told me that eating back those calories basically defeats the purpose of burning those calories through exercise.
It would defeat the purpose IF your calories weren't set at a deficit already.
Exactly.0 -
Let me break down the math for everyone. I realize this isn't 100% for everyone, but being talked to like I'm a primitive monkey rubs me the wrong way.
As I am a moderately active male between the ages of 20-39, my BMR was calculated at 2800 calories per day. By remaining at my activity level of moderately active, I can in theory consume 2800 calories per day and maintain my current weight. MFP agrees with my trainer. Yay.
Setting my goal loss of 1 lb per week, MFP sets my goal calories of the day to 2230. The diet my trainer put me on is 2000. 230 is not a major number off hand but I'm going to stick with 2000.
When I do a full hour of eliptical or running, I burn over 1000 calories. From experience, if I eat those back (meaning I eat a total of 3230 calories a day), I will gain weight. If I eat half of those calories (meaning I eat a total of 2730 calories) I will maintain my weight. If I eat a few or none of those calories (meaning I stay around 2000 calories) I lose the weight.
I weigh my food. I log it all. To lose weight my body requires that I NOT eat back the calories I burn from exercising. I do 100% realize that the caloric value MFP gives me is ALREADY a deficit.
I realize 100% that there are people who can consume their exercise calories and lose weight. Great for them! I also know people who spend one or two days out of the week in the gym for an hour each time, do nothing else all week, and look ripped and have a low body fat %. Not every body is built the same way.
So again to me there is a flaw with eating back your calories because to me it makes me gain my weight back. I need to remain at a total of 2000 or so calories consumed total per day to achieve weight loss. I will be upping my calories in May when I finish the current body fat program I'm on now as I will be down to 20-22% body fat then, but for now, I will stay doing what I'm doing because it 100% works for my body.
Your mileage... may vary.
More of a flaw in your BMR calculations IMHO. Since that's the biggest chunk of calories being calculated.
see my earlier post, I think he is using his maintenance from his trainer which includes exercise in the TDEE whereas MFP does not, but in the end if you follow one or the other you should get to the same place, the problem happens when trying to fit the 2 together.0 -
Let me break down the math for everyone. I realize this isn't 100% for everyone, but being talked to like I'm a primitive monkey rubs me the wrong way.
As I am a moderately active male between the ages of 20-39, my BMR was calculated at 2800 calories per day. By remaining at my activity level of moderately active, I can in theory consume 2800 calories per day and maintain my current weight. MFP agrees with my trainer. Yay.
Setting my goal loss of 1 lb per week, MFP sets my goal calories of the day to 2230. The diet my trainer put me on is 2000. 230 is not a major number off hand but I'm going to stick with 2000.
When I do a full hour of eliptical or running, I burn over 1000 calories. From experience, if I eat those back (meaning I eat a total of 3230 calories a day), I will gain weight. If I eat half of those calories (meaning I eat a total of 2730 calories) I will maintain my weight. If I eat a few or none of those calories (meaning I stay around 2000 calories) I lose the weight.
I weigh my food. I log it all. To lose weight my body requires that I NOT eat back the calories I burn from exercising. I do 100% realize that the caloric value MFP gives me is ALREADY a deficit.
I realize 100% that there are people who can consume their exercise calories and lose weight. Great for them! I also know people who spend one or two days out of the week in the gym for an hour each time, do nothing else all week, and look ripped and have a low body fat %. Not every body is built the same way.
So again to me there is a flaw with eating back your calories because to me it makes me gain my weight back. I need to remain at a total of 2000 or so calories consumed total per day to achieve weight loss. I will be upping my calories in May when I finish the current body fat program I'm on now as I will be down to 20-22% body fat then, but for now, I will stay doing what I'm doing because it 100% works for my body.
Your mileage... may vary.
A few things.
First, regardless of what everyone else says, good for you for finding out what works for you. It can be harder than it seems like it should be.
Second, your BMR is not 2800. Your TDEE might be, but not your BMR. Many people on this site use the terms interchangably, but they are very different and could cause confusion.
Last, I think the problem a lot of people have with your advice is that your are recommending a method (that when done properly works) that contradicts how MPF is setup. Most people don't setup MFP to include exercise in their TDEE, which is why most people need to eat back most/all of their cals.
Without being very clear about the fact you are suggesting a method that is not the norm for MFP users wihtout explaining the differences and the strategies can cause problems.0 -
I do understand the question and I do not think the mother the doctor knows exactly how MFP figures out the deficit before she offered her opinion. The exercise calories MFP gives you are basically net since they have already added in the 100 calories per hour regualrly used without exercise. As to the doctor/mother the same goes. The deficit is already figured in so it does not defeat the purpose to eat your exercise calories. That all being said yes the calories eaten may not be accurate everytime we log or the exercise calories are always an estimate whether HRM, MFP or cardio machine. So we need to customize a bit for ourselves. I personally eat most or some calories and leave some in case I have overestimated exercise or underestimated food. However the question becomes am I losing? Each of us needs to find the right calorie goal for ourselves and adjust as we change. No flaw just allowances for individual situations and normal inaccuracies.
Actually I provided her the information on how MFP figures the deficit and then she provided me with an equation to verify that my bmr was correct. It was very close.0 -
I asked a trainer about this and he sent me a 2 page + article explaining everything, and the best way to break down what he say/found is that if you eat back ALL of your workout calories..you will MAINTAIN your current weigh, if you eat back SOME of your workout calories (which is what i do), you will loose. And if you want to gain to eat back your workout plus some (for those trying to bulk up). I usually try to eat back some of my calories, not all and weight usually just falls off. When i 1st got on this site i did that and the weight just came strait off...i gained some of my weight back due to a few months of anxiety episodes, but im back on and the weight is coming off again.0
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BRM (BASE METABOLIC RATE) = what you burn sitting on your butt all day, no exercise, no movement, just what it takes to function your body, basically comotose
RMR (RESTING METABOLIC RATE) = what you burn sitting around, maybe going to and from the washroom, fetching your food, basically vegetating
TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) = What you burn doing daily activity and exercise + your BMR
Please.... Please, don't mix those things up.
Thank you.0 -
Agreed - nothing against the poster, but it is not how MFP was designed (or how many people use it). But good for him for finding what worksLast, I think the problem a lot of people have with your advice is that your are recommending a method (that when done properly works) that contradicts how MPF is setup. Most people don't setup MFP to include exercise in their TDEE, which is why most people need to eat back most/all of their cals.
Without being very clear about the fact you are suggesting a method that is not the norm for MFP users wihtout explaining the differences and the strategies can cause problems.0 -
It's not an exact science either way. You can't trust any HRM to be exact, any more than you can determine exactly how many calories one truly needs to lose, gain, or maintain weight. Remember, that we each have subtle differences that throw the math of just a tad. I always considered this whole calorie-balancing game to be a "best guess".
^^^This! See what works for you and then adjust accordingly. I changed my macro percentages and my calorie goals several times over the past year until I got close to what works for me.0 -
Let me break down the math for everyone. I realize this isn't 100% for everyone, but being talked to like I'm a primitive monkey rubs me the wrong way.
As I am a moderately active male between the ages of 20-39, my BMR was calculated at 2800 calories per day. By remaining at my activity level of moderately active, I can in theory consume 2800 calories per day and maintain my current weight. MFP agrees with my trainer. Yay.
Setting my goal loss of 1 lb per week, MFP sets my goal calories of the day to 2230. The diet my trainer put me on is 2000. 230 is not a major number off hand but I'm going to stick with 2000.
When I do a full hour of eliptical or running, I burn over 1000 calories. From experience, if I eat those back (meaning I eat a total of 3230 calories a day), I will gain weight. If I eat half of those calories (meaning I eat a total of 2730 calories) I will maintain my weight. If I eat a few or none of those calories (meaning I stay around 2000 calories) I lose the weight.
I weigh my food. I log it all. To lose weight my body requires that I NOT eat back the calories I burn from exercising. I do 100% realize that the caloric value MFP gives me is ALREADY a deficit.
I realize 100% that there are people who can consume their exercise calories and lose weight. Great for them! I also know people who spend one or two days out of the week in the gym for an hour each time, do nothing else all week, and look ripped and have a low body fat %. Not every body is built the same way.
So again to me there is a flaw with eating back your calories because to me it makes me gain my weight back. I need to remain at a total of 2000 or so calories consumed total per day to achieve weight loss. I will be upping my calories in May when I finish the current body fat program I'm on now as I will be down to 20-22% body fat then, but for now, I will stay doing what I'm doing because it 100% works for my body.
Your mileage... may vary.
Do you do other exercises besides the Elliptical? I have to say I had the same issue when I was only doing the elliptical but not when running. Just curious if you have noticed the same or if it is only with the elliptical.0 -
It's a major flaw IMO because you end up over eating and not losing weight and in some cases gaining weight.
The fitness trainers and nutritionists that I have seen have given me a flat 2000-2200 calorie diet. They never mention eating back my calories.
When I do eat back my calories, I fail. When I do not, I lose weight. I will stick with the results.
I'm the same way so I try not to eat back my exercise calories. If I eat more than half of them back I plateau. I figure it's either something to do with my metabolism or maybe the number of calories the machines say I burned isn't accurate. Either way, I do whatever works for me.0 -
I asked a trainer about this and he sent me a 2 page + article explaining everything, and the best way to break down what he say/found is that if you eat back ALL of your workout calories..you will MAINTAIN your current weigh, if you eat back SOME of your workout calories (which is what i do), you will loose. And if you want to gain to eat back your workout plus some (for those trying to bulk up). I usually try to eat back some of my calories, not all and weight usually just falls off. When i 1st got on this site i did that and the weight just came strait off...i gained some of my weight back due to a few months of anxiety episodes, but im back on and the weight is coming off again.
you will only maintain by eating your exercise calories if you eat maintenance calories. If you are set up to lose 1 lb/week, you must eat the cals back that you burned in order to lose that 1 lb. If you don't eat them back you may lose more weight as you should, but some or a lot of that might be from lean muscle, not fat.
This article is set up so your TDEE (maintenance) includes exercise. MFP does not include exercise in your maintenance calories or calorie goal until you enter it in the cardio tab.0 -
someone said it better.0
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Also, What the heck kind of metabolic problems are you having if you are a 200lbs+ male, and you only burn 2800 calories TOTAL per day after burning 1000 on an elliptical?Let me break down the math for everyone. I realize this isn't 100% for everyone, but being talked to like I'm a primitive monkey rubs me the wrong way.
As I am a moderately active male between the ages of 20-39, my BMR was calculated at 2800 calories per day. By remaining at my activity level of moderately active, I can in theory consume 2800 calories per day and maintain my current weight. MFP agrees with my trainer. Yay.
Setting my goal loss of 1 lb per week, MFP sets my goal calories of the day to 2230. The diet my trainer put me on is 2000. 230 is not a major number off hand but I'm going to stick with 2000.
When I do a full hour of eliptical or running, I burn over 1000 calories. From experience, if I eat those back (meaning I eat a total of 3230 calories a day), I will gain weight. If I eat half of those calories (meaning I eat a total of 2730 calories) I will maintain my weight. If I eat a few or none of those calories (meaning I stay around 2000 calories) I lose the weight.
I weigh my food. I log it all. To lose weight my body requires that I NOT eat back the calories I burn from exercising. I do 100% realize that the caloric value MFP gives me is ALREADY a deficit.
I realize 100% that there are people who can consume their exercise calories and lose weight. Great for them! I also know people who spend one or two days out of the week in the gym for an hour each time, do nothing else all week, and look ripped and have a low body fat %. Not every body is built the same way.
So again to me there is a flaw with eating back your calories because to me it makes me gain my weight back. I need to remain at a total of 2000 or so calories consumed total per day to achieve weight loss. I will be upping my calories in May when I finish the current body fat program I'm on now as I will be down to 20-22% body fat then, but for now, I will stay doing what I'm doing because it 100% works for my body.
Your mileage... may vary.
I'm a 125 lbs 5'2" girl, and I burn nearly that much from regular daily activity and jogging 60minutes. I eat more than 2000 calories/day fairly often and I lose weight still.0 -
A few things.
First, regardless of what everyone else says, good for you for finding out what works for you. It can be harder than it seems like it should be.
Second, your BMR is not 2800. Your TDEE might be, but not your BMR. Many people on this site use the terms interchangably, but they are very different and could cause confusion.
Last, I think the problem a lot of people have with your advice is that your are recommending a method (that when done properly works) that contradicts how MPF is setup. Most people don't setup MFP to include exercise in their TDEE, which is why most people need to eat back most/all of their cals.
Without being very clear about the fact you are suggesting a method that is not the norm for MFP users wihtout explaining the differences and the strategies can cause problems.
YES!!!! Exactly.0 -
For one that extra 100 calories is already calculated into your daily calories burned and secondly I think most of us are creating a much larger deficit than that so even 100 calories over my goal would still leave me with a huge deficit.0
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\It's a major flaw IMO because you end up over eating and not losing weight and in some cases gaining weight.
The fitness trainers and nutritionists that I have seen have given me a flat 2000-2200 calorie diet. They never mention eating back my calories.
When I do eat back my calories, I fail. When I do not, I lose weight. I will stick with the results.
I agree completely. My mother has a friend who is a doctor with a PhD in weight management/obesity and she told me that eating back those calories basically defeats the purpose of burning those calories through exercise.
Well thank god I am not going to that Doctor... lol From the beginning I have always said, it is best to keep this as simple as possible and not over think things. The only time I can see where Net calories can really effect an outcome is during Long low intensity cardio (hiking, walking 4-5 hours, etc) but in most causes people who do exercise are doing High intensity/ interval training for 30-60 minutes getting the most out of each one of their workouts. I wear a HRM to get a better estimate of total calories burned. I start it when a begin and stop as soon as I am done. Log my total exercise calories burned and eat back around 90% of my exercise calories and have lost 293 lbs. in 31 months...... There is enough to worry about avoiding temptations, getting your water intake in for the day, life's daily stresses, etc,etc.... Worrying about 100 calories+/- at best for a day to me is just over thinking it but like I always say do what works best for you and I will do the same..........0 -
Worry less, exercise more, eat better.
yep!!! best post I have seen in a LONG TIME
I concur.
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^^^ This .. If people were to grasp THIS there would be a lot less threads on the eat back/dont eat back excercise calories. MFP DOES NOT FACTOR your excercise calories, hence would be the reason it's suggested that you eat them back. I have my caloric intake already set to where my exercise calories are already factored in, therefore I DO NOT eat back what I burn. I keep track of the the cals that I burn when I workout, I just add them as workout notes everyday.Let me break down the math for everyone. I realize this isn't 100% for everyone, but being talked to like I'm a primitive monkey rubs me the wrong way.
As I am a moderately active male between the ages of 20-39, my BMR was calculated at 2800 calories per day. By remaining at my activity level of moderately active, I can in theory consume 2800 calories per day and maintain my current weight. MFP agrees with my trainer. Yay.
Setting my goal loss of 1 lb per week, MFP sets my goal calories of the day to 2230. The diet my trainer put me on is 2000. 230 is not a major number off hand but I'm going to stick with 2000.
When I do a full hour of eliptical or running, I burn over 1000 calories. From experience, if I eat those back (meaning I eat a total of 3230 calories a day), I will gain weight. If I eat half of those calories (meaning I eat a total of 2730 calories) I will maintain my weight. If I eat a few or none of those calories (meaning I stay around 2000 calories) I lose the weight.
I weigh my food. I log it all. To lose weight my body requires that I NOT eat back the calories I burn from exercising. I do 100% realize that the caloric value MFP gives me is ALREADY a deficit.
I realize 100% that there are people who can consume their exercise calories and lose weight. Great for them! I also know people who spend one or two days out of the week in the gym for an hour each time, do nothing else all week, and look ripped and have a low body fat %. Not every body is built the same way.
So again to me there is a flaw with eating back your calories because to me it makes me gain my weight back. I need to remain at a total of 2000 or so calories consumed total per day to achieve weight loss. I will be upping my calories in May when I finish the current body fat program I'm on now as I will be down to 20-22% body fat then, but for now, I will stay doing what I'm doing because it 100% works for my body.
Your mileage... may vary.
Last, I think the problem a lot of people have with your advice is that your are recommending a method (that when done properly works) that contradicts how MPF is setup. Most people don't setup MFP to include exercise in their TDEE, which is why most people need to eat back most/all of their cals.
It really isn't that hard of a concept to grasp.0 -
One thing I have been wondering is why MFP does not incorporate NET workout calories. Since you burn calories constantly, you need to subtract your baseline calories for that amount of time you worked out right?
Lets say someone's basal metabolic rate is 2400 calories a day. That's and average of 100 calories an hour. They work out 1 hour and burn 600 calories. MFP would tell that person that they could eat 3000 calories that day. BUT what MFP does not factor in is that, for that 1 hour they worked out, they would have burned 100 calories that hour without working out. Therefore, their net work out calories burned is 500. So, they could eat 2900 calories, and 3000 calories would actually lead to a weight gain right?
I try not to eat my workout calories, but I'm just wondering since a lot of people do. Any ideas?
I do, usually w/ in 100-200.0 -
Oops sorry 49lbs lol
)
well you are just amazing aren't you Maz?? LOL0
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